Two policemen, including a sub-inspector (SI), were arrested in Lucknow on Sunday on charges of kidnapping a trader in an attempt to extort money from him, officials said. The names of the two cops were added to the FIR that was registered at the city's Hasanganj police station on Saturday, they added. The accused, Sub-Inspector Anurag Dwivedi and Constable Yusuf Ali, were arrested after a preliminary inquiry which found their involvement in the kidnapping conspiracy, the officials said. Meanwhile, Hasanganj Station House Officer (SHO) Raj Kumar Singh has been suspended for alleged negligence in the case. The accused cops, who are posted at the same police station, were detained for questioning on Saturday, it is learnt. “We are investigating the involvement of other people in the kidnapping. The sequence of events will be shared after the arrest of other accused in the case,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Manisha Singh. The complainant, Ishtiyaq (34), had on November 29 informed the police control room about his alleged kidnapping. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Aparna Rajat Kaushik said they came to know that four persons kidnapped Ishtiyaq from Azamgarh, brought him to Lucknow and sought ransom for his release. The initial probe revealed that Ishtiyaq, who sells woollen clothes, had criminal cases registered against him. The initial FIR on Saturday was registered against four persons under Sections 364-A (kidnapping for ransom), 392 (robbery), 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt) and 147 (rioting), said the DCP. The accused allegedly robbed Ishtiyaq of woollen clothes and money after kidnapping him, sources said.
